Incubator egg-tray.



T. HINBS.

INCUBATOR EGG TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED m1111911.

1,035,791. Patented Aug.13,1912.

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@Mommy PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE HINES, OF PUEBLO, COLORADO.

INCUBATOR EGG-TRAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

Application filed February 7, 1911. Serial No. 607,102.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Trinononu limes, a citizen of the UnitedI States, residing at Pueblo, in, the county of Pueblo and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvements in Incubator Egg-Trays, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to trays, and more particularly to the class of egg-turning in cubator trays.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a tray ot' this character in which eggs to loe4 hatched may be supported, and all of which may be simultaneously turned in a single operation, thereby avoiding the handling of individual eggs 'for this purpose.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tray of this character in which chicks hatched from the eggs supported by the traymay gain access to the Warming chalnberor compartment oit an incubator, thus obvating the handling of such chicks by hand Which would necessarily result in injury to the same.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a tray of this character which may be readily and easily fitted in and removed from incubators of ordinary Wellknown construction, and that is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and ellicient in operation, and inexpensive in manufacture.

lVith these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the' claim hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan View of a tray constructed in accordance with the invention. Figisaside elevation thereof. Fig.` Sis a vertical sectional View on the line 3 3 of, ,Fig.\1. Fig. 4 is a transversc` sectional View on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; t

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views pf the 'drawings Referring y\to the drawings by numerals, the tray comprises a rectangular-shaped frame 5, the same including spaced vertical side beams 6 and transverse end beams 7,v whichare vunlted inany suitable manner,

and mortised in the under faces of the saidend beams 7 are spaced longitudinally arranged supporting beams 8 which are adapt` ed to rest upon the flooring of a warming chamber in an incubator and thereby support the 'frame 5 elevated from such flooring of the warming chamber. The side walls 6 of the frame 5 at their upper edges are provided with spaced alining bearing notches 9 in which are journaled the stud spindles 10 projecting from opposite ends of rotatable egg turning rollers or cylinders, as will be hereinafter more fully described. These egg turning rollers or cylinders comprise Wire woven cylindrical bodies 11, each being closed at opposite ends by circular shaped heads 12, in which are centrally fixed the stud spindles 10, the cylindrical bodies 11 heilig arranged in spaced-parallel relation to each other between the side beams G of the frame, and upon contiguous rollers are supbal'or.

rollers or cylindrical bodies 11 are grooved aliniug pulleys 13, over which is rcversely wound an operating cable or cord 14, the saine being trained overa guide pulley 15 j ournalcd in a bearing or bracket 16 ixed to one end wall 7, and also over a guide roller 17 journaled in the side walls G ot' the frame, contiguous the other-end wall 7, the journal ends of the guide'roller 17 being removably fitted in suitable bearing notches formed in the said side walls of the frame, whereb the roller 17 may be readily removed for ai ording a space 18 between the adjacent turning roller or cylinder 11 and the said end wall 7, so that when the eggs have been hatched, the chicks therefrom may drop through this space 18 ono the {iooring of the warming chamber in he incubator.

Secured to the top edges of the side walls 6 of the frame 5 and overlying the bearing notches 9 therein are retaining strips 19, which 'prevent the stud spindles 9 of the \t`urning rollers from jumping out of the bearing notches 9 when being turned by the cable 14, tpe latter being provided with loop ends 20 w llich enable the cord or cable 14: to be pulled upon at either end thereof for the reverse turning or rotation of the egg su porting rollers or cylindrical bodies 11 in tiie frame. By reason of the formation of the wire mesh cylindrical bodies 11, air circulation in the warming chamber is unobstucted and lsuch warm air is ermitted to pass through the said cvlindrlcal bodies to the ported the eggs to be hatched in an incultixcd to the spindles 10 at one erid of the' bottoni of the egg tray, and keep the saine temperature belon the eggs as above.

t is evident that on the turningof the supporting; rollers or cylindrical bodies ll., the eggs thereon may all be simultaneously` turned, without requiring an attendant to handle the eggs singly for this purpose. JAlso by affording tl'r space 1S in the lranie 5, after the guide roller 17 has been removed from the frame, it enables the chicks to gain access to tlie looring ose. llie Warming clia1nber in tlie incubator, Without necessitating an ail-tendant handling the chicks so as to remove the same from the tray and placing them on such flooring of the Warming charnber.

What is claimed is: v

An incubator tray, comprising a frame havin beveled upper edges, spaced longitudina ly arranged supporting beams niortised in the under faces of the end beams of the frame, the said frame being provided 'with vertical slots in its side Walls adjacent 'to its front Wall3 a roller having trunnion ends detaehably engaged in said slots, a plurality of oraminous cylindrical rollers rotatably journaled in the side Walls of the frame and arranged in spaced parallel relation to each other, grooved pulleys fixed tov one end of the rollers in alineinent with each other, a bracket fixed to the inner face of the rear Wall of said frame in alinement with said pulleys, a guide pulley journaled in said bracket, and a eXible cable trained over said guide pulley and also reversely trained over said grooved pulleys, the said iront Wall of the frame beingprovided with an aperture in alinenient with the grooved pulleys and receiving the free ends of said cable, whereby the free ends of said cable Will project exteriorly of the frame at the front thereof.

In testimony whereof allix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

THEUDORE HNES. lWitnesses T. J. llHrrLow, JAS. F. FLOYD. 

